GaryRobinson

Bob,

Wouldn't that (grey) disqualify the plane in the picture as an Eflt plane? It's factory sheet metal silver. The reason I question this is because this picture is earily similar to an incident that involved a 776th plane about mid 1966 when all of our aircraft were still in their factory clothing. My 46 year old memories are suspect, but this picture is setting off many, many old thoughts and memories!!!

Chris

That plane is GREY, not factory sheet metal. All of the C-130E E-Flight birds at CCK were Grey. The A-Models at Naha were sheet metal silver. You just can't decipher the Grey in the picture.

I am not sure exactly when SSN's were replaced with the AF numbers but it wasn't in 67 or 68. Those are some of the dates Chris is referring too and I know the numbers changed sometime after I got to Naha in May 1968. My first trip to CRB was in August 68 and the SSN was still in use then. Because of the HIPPA act and other federal laws you can sure get into trouble with the SSN's regardless of whether it is unintentional or not.

Chris,

You shouldn't be posting anything with SSN's where anyone in public can access them. You should black out the SSN's or not post them. Posting that way can get you in serious trouble.

I started on the A's in '68 at Naha and they had the old camo scheme with white bottoms used in Vietnam and the black bottoms used for Blind Bat and the Silver used by E-Flight. I'm not particular about the color scheme but out of all the Hercs I worked on I am still partial to the old A-Model. I still think it was the best looking of all the Herc's.

Casey,

Are you going to be making any high resolution prints of the A-Models?

There was a bunker close to the maintenance hanger at CRB. However, that didn't mean you would make it. We had a TSgt Buck Miller in Radar that ran for the bunker during a rocket attack and didn't make it. He had serious head injuries and ended up in the hospital in Japan for about 6 months. They had to put a steel plate in his head and he had to wear a helmet every time he went on the flightline at Naha. He would have seizures and would just have to lay down in the floor until they passed. He left Naha and I never heard from him after that. Always wondered what happened to him.

Gary Robinson

Would you know where Tom Waryha be? Tom was @ McGuire N.J in Nov 1980 along with Four Naha Troops. Tom was PCS .

Last time I saw Tom Warhya was at Kadena AB, Okinawa in approximately 1986-87 time frame. I walked into the NCO club for lunch and he was sitting at a table with some other guys. I think he was stationed at Clark AB and they had come to Kadena for some type of a maintenance conference. That was the last I ever saw or heard of him.

Gary

What year did E-Flight move to CCK, I pcs in Mar 71 E-Flight was still on okinawa @ that time.

E-Flight moved to CCK in May 1971. Several of us with E-Flight at Naha moved to CCK and stayed with E-Flight including myself, Fred Peffer, Tom Waryha, Randy Odette.

Chris,

I don't know what references you had during your class but a book that gives a good history of Vietnam and the war is "VIETNAM, A History" by Stanley Karnow, who was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. It was a real eye opener for me and I highly recommend it for reading.

Gary

That is all misinformation. The bones are not taken out and cleaned. That practice is common in some countries like Borneo and maybe Indonesia but not Okinawa. I have been married to one for 40 years and we have never participated in a ceremony like that. They do pray to the deceased at the turtleback tombs on certain dates.

I was avoinocs (Nav/Radar) and made 2 trips to Cam Rahn Bay a one to Tan Son Nhut in 1968 and 1969. I was lucky and kept copies of all my orders, travel vouchers, flight records, etc., and made a complete copy of my medical records (myself) when I retired and it paid off when I went to file a VA Claim. I know many that didn't keep a thing and it is hurting them now. That should be a warning to all the young troops in the military now. Keep copies of everything you can get your hands on.

Ken, CRB alright. My profile pic here is outside my hootch at CRB Herky Hill. Over the top of the hill you could get to the beach. If you went further down the road there was an Army supply post where troops could go thru the line and pick up whatever you could carry before they went in country, fatigues, boots, rain ponchos, even bayonets (if needed). I would just roll up my sleeves to cover my Stripes, sign a sheet , go thru the line and get what I needed. We ate good on Herky Hill too since all the supplys come in thru us

That was the 22nd Replacement Battalion. We had a guy ride the bus down there and he came back looking like he was ready to start his own war with the NVA. Do you remember the metal containers you could put a lock on to keep your beer cool in the refrigerator. They would hold about a six pack. You had to lock it up or it would disappear while you were at work.

Gary Robinson

I imagine he was on the flight in order to collect combat pay and tax exemption. I was at Naha from 1968 until 1971 and made three trips to Ubon. Almost all of the maintenance troops would make one flight a month to get the combat pay and tax exemption same as some flight crews used to take a down and back to just so they could get the same in Vietnam.

I don't remember the face Jerry. I was at CCK 71 - 72. There was another Jerry in the Squadron, Jerry Byrd, the instrument troop. Went on many TDY's with him and he was a super nice guy.

Gary Robinson

It means it's on the wishlist but unfunded, like replacing the vacuum tube ADF is/was.

Tiny,

Do they still have the ARN-6 on the new J-Birds?

Gary

Served with Charlie Agar '68-69 in Ubon. Acft 56-476. Would like to know where he is and contact him.

Bill Urquhart.

Bill Urquhart, now there is a name I hadn't heard in years. I remember you well Bill. I worked Radar / Nav and made several tdys to Ubon before going into E-Flight. Then went to CCK. Didn't you go to NKP or Udorn after Naha?

TALAR was a quick setup ground system that basically performed the ILS/Glideslope functions. Was developed to be set up quickly at a remote site without any aids. It was on all the 62-63 models we had at Yokota and I thought it was installed AF wide on all C-130's. Evidently the system is no longer in use, but I retrained out of Maintenance in 1984 so I have been away from them a long time.

How many of you guys remember using TALAR? I remember seeing it installed, and wonder if it actually worked.

I was a Yokota from 1975 until 1980 and we installed it on some of our birds that didn't have it. We had to pull a test on it every so often and I replaced a few receivers but never had the opportunity to see it used in flight.

HAS ANYONE OUT THERE EVER HEARD OF A WOUNDED HERKY AWARD. I FLEW ON THE B MODEL IN VIET NAM FROM JAN 66 TO AUG 67. (LM) STATIONED AT MACTAN AIR BASE IN THE PI. THANKS FOR ANY REPLY.

Archie,

Did you ever meet a guy named James (Jim) Craft?

ancedote - My father having been serving in the AF and maintaining c130s a good portion of his life, always drank coffee. Black.

On his last visit, my sister being the "high class gotta have the most expensive everything snob" type that she is, took him to Starbucks. He arrived at my house still holding a 3/4 full tall cup. He was just sipping it. I asked him if it was too hot? He replied that he did not want to hurt my sister's feelings after she had just bought him a coffee that had tasted like it had been sitting in the tank overnight.

Anyways - I had always been under the assumption that the coffee was ordered and brewed by the in-flight kitchen peoples. Picked up and delivered. One pot water. One pot "coffee".

I never found a specialty coffee that I like. Starbucks or other. I drink Folgers or Maxwell House and am completely satisfied with those. I have drank the Hills Bros and others at times. I will take any of those over Starbucks any day of the week. By the way, I have many hours with the Herc and the coffee provided by the Air Force was always fine with me.

Gary Robinson

That would be me. I was just a kid! 20 yrs old in 1970. I was stationed at Naha '69-'71. Aircraft Electrician on the "A" models. Took a guy's place in E-Flight in '70. I left Naha in May '71. I think his name was Fred. He was red-headed and stocky. He always hung around with a guy named Delon. They both left Naha for Ubon, Thailand. I remember Fred had a '57 or '59 Ford at that time also. Those were some great times, weren't they? Takhli, Udorn, an occasional overnight in Bankok, or in Balibagos, outside of Clark AB in the P.I.

Phil

My memory is suffering Phil. I thought you replaced Roofner (spelling). I roomed with him on many a trip and he was a crazy "sob".

I can't remember what he looked like, but I must have known him. I was there during that time and I too was in E-Flight. I was one of the aircrat electricians assigned to E-Flight back then. I was 20 yrs old. Man, what an experience!

Phil

Phil, was you that young hispanic that came in towards the last at Naha?

Here's what we were supposed to use it for, changing the big VOR antenna in the tail.

I replaced two of the VOR Antennas. One on a A-Model and one on an E-Model. We used a cherry picker, not that ladder. I wouldn't climb that ladder for any reason although I did see one installed one time.

I got to Naha in May 68 and maybe he was gone by then. I don't remember the name.

Gary Robinson

I don't have any specifics on the airplane but I remember being tdy to TSN and one C-130A had damage down the right side and every time we had a few minutes to spare we spent it splicing the wire bundfles down the right side. When it was finally pieced together enough it was flown back to Naha with the gear chained down. The wire bundles, etc. down that side were hell to work through and put back together, one of the worst jobs I ever had in my life.

I am pretty sure it was the right side though that had all the damage.

Gary Robinson

Naha AB 68-71

Comm/Nav